Road Trip Along Lake Michigan
 

Wanting to take a trip around Lake Michigan in mid-August. We will drive from DC and start in Chicago. Staying there for a night or two. Then up through Wisconsin and down through Michigan.

We've never been to that part of the country, aside from traveling through. Two daughters, aged 17 and 12. Any recommendations for things that are must see/do? Places to stay? Places to eat?

My husband would like to see a Cubs game and see the stadium where the Packers play.

I want to go to Sleepy Bear Dunes in Michigan.

Wanting to do this as frugally as possible.

If you are traveling to Michigan & have a daughter 17 year old, you should also should stop at college - even just to stop by. We are also from DC & our daughter will attend University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is also a nice city. Heard from others than Pinckney Recreation area is a good area to stop by. You also can look at Airbnb to get a lake house, vs. most hotels stay more in the city.

Also heard Silver Lake - a nice area, 200 mi from Ann Arbor.

Happy Planning!

Ann Arbor is about as far as you can get from Lake Michigan.

The Wisconsin shore is nice. I prefer the smaller communities with their lighthouses.

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowac is very good, if that is the type of thing which interests your family. The Kohler Arts Center is Sheboygan is a fun art museum. Be sure you see the bathrooms!

Door County is beautiful with other interesting stops.

Crossing Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Kitch-iti-kipi Springs and the Cut River Bridge are great brief stops. Fayette Historic State Park will take a couple of hours.

If you can take the time Pictured Rocks & Tahquamenon Falls on Lake Superior are a couple of the most beautiful spots in the state. Doing both would take the better part of a day.

Mackinac Island will probably be the highlight of the trip for your daughters. There are no automobiles, so you get around by foot, bicycle and horse & carriage. It is a gorgeous place which was the 2nd National Park in the US (after Yellowstone), though it was turned over to be a State Park when the garrison left the American Revolutionary fort and there was no one to manage it). Watch the movie Somewhere in Time (Christopher Reed & Jane Seymour) before the trip and the whole family will be dying to go.

You can take a ferry to the Island from either side of Straits of Mackinac, but the ride from the south side is more scenic. Some departures (marked on the schedule) take a brief pass under the 5 mile suspension bridge and are a great photo opportunity. Mackinaw City is the community on the south side of the Straits and has a lot of good things to do.

I've more to say about the rest of the trip, but must get to work. Will try to post more later.

So much to enjoy on the Michigan coast! In the UP, we like Kitichi-kipi Springs, and be sure to stop at Gustafson's on US-2 up there for gas and Turkey Jerky (yum!), and Lehto's Pasties, then cross over the bridge and into the hand (lower peninsula), you can make your way over towards the coast after you explore Mackinac area, and hit Leggs Inn for a neat dining experience (old place with good Polish food), then Glen Arbor and Empire near Sleeping Bear are both very nice. Do not be fooled at the dunes - do not attempt to walk to the water! Much longer than most believe... Frankfort is also a nice town and if the kids like amusement parks and water park rides, a day at Michigan Adventure is also fun... So much to see and do and many fun little towns along the way - Ludington, Grand Haven, Saugatuck, Holland...

Have a great trip!

Continuing on from the Straits of Mackinac, be sure to travel to Cross Village and drive tunel of trees, along the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. Legs Inn is a great stop for the folk art and the Polish food! This was from one of our visits there: http://www.mightymac.org/mackinacisl...acisland12.htm

Harbor Springs, Petoskey and Charlevoix all hace things to recomend then. At Charlevoix, check out the mushroom houses and maybe run out east of town to ride the free, historic Ironton Ferry.

Traverse City area is beautiful, including both the Mission and Lelenau Peninsulas with their lighthouses. Leland's Fishtown is worth a short visit.

Sleeping Bear sand sand dunes is a must visit, then continue south along the shoure. Take M22 as far as Manistee.

Take US31 to Holland, then on to Saugatuck for a sand dune ride. This part of the lake is known for its beaches.

You have some good advise here. I completely agree with Keith. Skip Ann Arbor. Other than the college there really isn't anything of significance. I would stick to the shore line.

If you are coming east to return to DC, Detroit is a nice place to spent a day or 2. There is a lot happening during the summer.

Opps "Christopher Reeve!"

Thank you for the suggsestions!

I too have to agree to skip Ann Arbor, it's several hours out of the way and while it has some interesting restaurants, there just isn't much to see. The coast is beautiful, if you can take a day, I also recommend going to Mackinaw Island, nothing quite like it. My children loved the sleeping bear dunes (15, 14 and 11) and the state park there is worth a drive through. There are many lighthouses (a few still operational) along the coast so if that interests you, they often are well marked and not difficult to get to. From sleeping bear sand dunes, Traverse City is close and in my opinion, has the best cherries and every variety of cherry item you could want. The Bay is beautiful and has a nice sandy beach area that your kids might enjoy. Ludington is a really nice area too, the last time we were there we took the car ferry from ludington to Wisconsin, and while not cheap, it was an experience my kids still talk about and we did that many years ago. The ferry does take 4 hours and you would miss some of the areas listed, but it was still an option the last time I looked if you get started and need to shave some drive time. Enjoy Michigan and Green Bay, your in for some beautiful senery!!

There's nothing in Green Bay (the city) but Packers stuff, but the rest of the shore is quite interesting. Maybe above meant the Door County shore of the Green Bay water feature?

You can camp in many places, but in summer Traverse City to St Ignace will have no affordable lodging, this is super prime pricing time. Busy and expensive.

Now thinking of taking the ferry... will we regret not going up to the UP? Thinking the ferry will be better for us time-wise since we only have a week. We will drive up to Traverse City after the ferry, maybe Mackinaw Island if it's not too far (need to check the map).

Given the choice, I would spend the time farther north than you are going, but it is hard to answer that question for you.

The UP is more wild, both the population density and the geography. I feel like the parts you are considering cutting out are more memorable than the area farther south.

It's about a 3-1/2 hour drive Green Bay to St. Ignace. The ferry will take more time, not save it.

I would recommend you go through the upper peninsula if you want nice scenery and If you plan to go to Mackinaw. The Mackinaw bridge is really something to see.. the ferry keeps you too far south and then you would have to drive up to the bridge and that scenery isn't as nice. When going thru the UP remember that some of it is not well populated and keep your car gassed up, don't want to be looking for a gas station in the forest:). The last statement is spoken from experience.

IF you do the UP end to end, check out a state park named Kitchitikipi or something like that. It's main feature is a lake about a block wide with absolutely clear water...you can see a penny on the bottom, 50' down.

The State Park is Palms Book. The spring is Kitch-iti-kipi.